Trapped: Migrant Domestic Workers in Lebanon
The right to freedom of movement forms one of the cornerstones of the international human rights regime and the Lebanese legal system. It is a right that everyone ought to enjoy regardless of race, national origin, residence status, religion or any other criteria. Yet, an alarming 5% of people in Lebanon today do not enjoy this basic human right. Specifically, 250 000 Migrant Domestic Workers in Lebanon suffer from various degrees of restrictions on their freedom of movement. Those restrictions vary from limits on their right to go out of their employer's house outside of their work hours, to confiscation of passports, forced confinement, and official and unofficial restrictions on their ability to reside independently.
This report finds that the freedom of movement and the freedom of choosing one’s place of residence are basic human rights recognized both under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) that Lebanon has ratified. Those rights are also recognized under the Lebanese constitution. In spite of this, MDWs’ right to freely choose their place of residence is undermined by General Security. From the cases we have documented, General Security is refusing to renew the residence permits of MDWs’ who do not reside with their employers. This report argues that while General Security is legally mandated to ‘monitor’ foreigners in Lebanon, it has no authority to enact measures that contradict provisions or legal principles enshrined in the Lebanese laws or constitution.